'96 6cyl F150

According to the truck manual I have, it shows the sending unit just to the left of the upper radiator hose, in front of the exhaust manifold. That's a

-- SC Tom

Tom,

Thanks for that. I see the sender. What my mechanic says is that the reason my temp gauge doesn't work is the unit under the exhaust manifold. Is there something under there which would cause this gauge not to work? (All my other gauges work)

It looks like there is another sending unit behind the exhaust manifold. After looking deeper into the electrical diagrams (done by 5 year olds on an Etch-a-Sketch, from the looks of them), the one in the front of the engine seems to be for the emissions system/engine control, and the one behind the manifold is for the temp gauge in the dash. Try as I might, I can't tell from any of the engine drawings if it's necessary to pull the manifold to get to it. Your best bet, I think, is climb under there with a good light and see what it looks like. Maybe with an inspection mirror, you could see it from under the hood. There may be enough of an opening in the manifold to fit a socket and U-joint in there to get it out. If your mechanic said the manifold needs to be removed, he may be right. I can't say for certain from what I have. Maybe a Chilton's manual at the local library would give a better picture.

-- SC Tom

Tom,

Thanks for your efforts. My mechanic is a clued-up guy so he's probably right. Why did Ford put it in such an inaccessible place? I thought the downpipe on a mini was bad - but this? Dang!

Heh, try changing the knock sensor on the GM Vortec motors. They're under the intake for some strange reason. Then the stupid plastic intake warps when you take it off and you have to replace that, too.